By Athena Alexander
No matter your company’s size, popularity, location, or services, a professional social media account provides information to help your business succeed. Popular platforms like Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter offer a professional mode that users can switch to and automatically receive engagement data on their account. It is free, easy to use, and gives companies the information they need to reach their target audience and maximize engagement. This blog explains the benefits of professional accounts on Instagram and Facebook and provides step-by-step instructions on how to make the switch to a professional account.
What is a Professional Account?
A professional account is a mode on certain social media platforms that transforms a pre-formatted personal account into a profile with settings and features more useful to a business. Professional account features vary by platform, but all include audience data and insights on company posts.
Setup and Features of a Professional Account on Facebook and Instagram
Setup
An Instagram professional account can elevate a business account without overcomplicating the process. To change a personal account to a professional account, go to the Profile page, click the three lines in the upper right corner, and go to Settings. When a list of settings options displays, click "Account" located near the end. At the bottom of this page, a blue tab reads "Switch to Professional Account and Add New Professional Account." Instagram professional accounts provide features such as linking accounts, creating a verified profile, including a call-to-action button, and viewing insights and engagement data.
To switch to a professional account on Facebook, go to the main profile page and click Edit Page, located in the top right corner. When multiple tabs pop up, click Basic Information located on the left side of the screen. A drop-down menu will appear; click on "Category" and choose "Local Businesses and Place." From there, a business can decide which description best describes their business and customize their page.
Features of a Professional Account
Instagram and Facebook have similar functions that let a business track its insights, link accounts, schedule posts, and more. Linking accounts enables a company to post on multiple platforms simultaneously. For example, Instagram can easily be linked to Facebook because these platforms are owned by the same parent company. In addition, professional accounts provide a scheduling feature that allows users to pick a time and date to post photos with a caption and location. To link accounts: 1) Make sure Instagram is switched to a professional account. 2) On Facebook, click "Edit Profile." 3) Click "Public Business Information" and select "Page." 4) Select which page you would like to link to or create a new page depending on the status of the pages already set up for the company.
Getting an account verified is a process through Instagram and Facebook HQ. Once the account or user is established in their field, Instagram will verify an account to tell users the account is real and approved by Instagram. A perk of a professional account is that a button is built into the account, located in Settings, that reads "Request Verification." This sends a message directly to Instagram for verification approval. Facebook works the same way. Clients go to Settings, press Account, and select Request Verification. They complete the form, and it's sent directly to Facebook HQ for verification.
Call-to-action buttons are clickable buttons on a profile or post that can take the user to a website or page that lets them instantly book an appointment, reserve a table, or order food. These stickers are specific to health and beauty and dining services. Posting these stickers helps draw in future customers due to how easy and quick they are to use.
Viewing insights and engagement is one of the best parts of a professional account. Business profiles track insights into posts, reels, stories, and lives. Audience age, location, likes, taps, saves, and shares can all be monitored to help a business know their target audience, the best times to post, which posts do well, and which do not, and how to keep their audience engaged. The easy-to-understand Insights tab is located on the main profile page or under any posted photos.
Is a Professional Account for You?
Growing a business on social media requires knowing data on a target audience's likes, dislikes, and engagement. While there are many ways to get this information, the easiest, most affordable, and most efficient way is through a professional social media account. If a company that switches to this account doesn’t like the functions that come with it, it only takes a few clicks to reverse it back to a personal account! What do you have to lose?